Electric Car Battery Life

Electric car batteries can already last hundreds of thousands of miles and they continue to improve. The cost of EV batteries has fallen tremendously as well.

Electric car batteries are generally warranted for 8 years of 100,000 miles, but new EV batteries are lasting much longer – in some cases, close to 500,000 miles. Hyundai actually provides a lifetime battery warranty on its Kona Electric SUV. Hyundai also has a great video on extending battery life for the Kona Electric. Tesla also has an excellent video on extending battery life of a Tesla.

Multiple reports confirm that Electric Vehicles (EVs) are already cleaner than internal combustion engine vehicles in 95% of the world and getting cleaner in terms of lifetime global warming emissions. You can read more sustainability of lithium ion EV batteries.

Finally, assuming a gas car would last for 200,000 miles, choosing an EV can be like getting two cars for the price of one!

How To Extend Electric Car Battery Life

Electric vehicle battery life can already be from 200,000 miles to 500,000 miles over their lifetime. The EV battery life of many EVs is already more than enough for most people and greater than the lifetime many gasoline-powered cars.

Before strategizing how to extend your electric vehicle battery life, keep in mind that there are already automatic safeguards in place. First off, newer EVs cannot overcharge, over-discharge, or overheat. These built-in protections alone have big impacts on extending EV battery life.

There are a number of steps you can take though to help extend the life of your EV battery.

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To further extend the life of your lithium-ion EV battery, here are some tips:

Avoiding deep discharging – below 20%

Lithium-ion partial cycles are better than a deep discharge. Not letting the battery level get below 20% can also help ensure you always have plenty of charge. You can charge your EV more often rather than just when needed to keep the battery topped off for any unexpected trips.

When possible, only charge up to 80%

If your normal daily driving can be covered with that range, then 80% is a good target. For most people, the normal range of EVs is more than enough for daily commutes.

A full charge isn’t great for lithium-ion batteries. One additional advantage – this leaves room for storing energy from regenerative braking.

You can generally lower the maximum charging limit for your EV with your EV’s on-board computer or your EV charger.

Check out this guide to extending EV range as needed. Keep in mind that there are many free places to charge your EV.

Try to keep your electric car at the right temperature

Lithium batteries do best in the same temperature ranges as humans. If it’s too hot or cold, most EVs will either cool or warm themselves. This takes energy though. If you want to avoid this, park in the shade on a hot day and in a garage in cold weather if you can.

Plan ahead for storage

Check your manufacturer’s recommendations for storage as they can vary. In general though, charge your EV when it gets below a a 20% charge, or every 3 months — whichever comes first. If possible, check the level of charge on a monthly basis. With some EVs, an app will allow you to check the remaining charge, and instruct the car to add additional charge. Many EVs on-board computers allow you to set the amount of charge you want. Some EVs, like the Tesla Roadster even come with a “storage mode” which can take care of this for you. You should also try to leave your EV in a cool but not freezing place.

Moderate acceleration

Smooth acceleration will help avoid discharging the battery unnecessarily.

Limit high-speed charging

Charging overnight at home rather than at a high-speed charger leads to less strain as it avoids pushing so much current into the batteries at once. Fast charging “level 3” stations (usually located near markets and restaurants) already enable charging up to 80% full in about 30 minutes, making EV road trips with fueling stops/meal breaks easy. Of course, if you need to use a high-speed charger on a trip or because you don’t have access to home or workplace charging, go ahead and use it.

Conclusion

Electric vehicle batteries have evolved rapidly – faster and cheaper ways to charge your EV are currently being developed. The development of lithium-ion batteries has allowed vehicles to go hundreds of miles on a single charge and last hundreds of thousands of miles.

Hundreds of thousands of miles is more than enough for most people but now you have more info about maximizing your EV battery’s potential.